One of the great things about having an established garden is that I can pass on cuttings and seedlings or bits of plants that needed to be divided to friends neighbours and even passers-by. Chats and walks in the garden ensued, and visitors would walk away with bags brimful of bits and pieces.

In these times of spacial distance this is no longer possible. However, more people are finding an interest in gardening, at a time when gardening centres are closed and many online gardening sites are unable to keep up with the demand.

One way of overcoming this unfortunate set of circumstances is by sharing plants. Simply leave surplus plants in your porch (in a bucket of water) and tell friends via social media what they can collect. 

Some points to consider for the donor:

• If possible, pass on bare rooted plants, for immediate planting.
• If plants come with soil attached, try to remove the roots of weeds that may be lurking.
• Do not pass on plants that are diseased.
• Be willing to pass on some gardening knowledge to the recipients.

For the recipient:

• Bring your own container
• Take only what you need, there may be others interested also.
• Check your new plants for weeds and signs of disease. 

That way we can share plants which may otherwise have been composted or placed in the brown bin.

Apart from everybody’s personal social network connections like Whats App, Twitter, Facebook etc there are dedicated sites and Facebook groups, such as Free Skerries Stuff and Skerries Connected… and our very own Skerries Food Gardening, set up by Sustainable Skerries!

Give it a try. Gardening is a gift that keeps on giving. 

Let us know how you get on. 🌱

Ernestine Woelger